The Masterforce Candidates
by MatrixOfWumbo
Summary: No Decepticon is as feared - by Autobot and Decepticon alike - as Overlord. But what happens when the most powerful weapon in Megatron's arsenal becomes just a little bit too powerful?


_Soldiers scattered as the meteor streaked across the sky. The sick and wounded writhed in their cots as they heard its air-rending scream. The object separated into two pieces as it descended, then reformed just before its thunderous impact. The being who stepped out of the craters smiled and shook his head as he watched the points of light rise in the distance. The Autobots were evacuating the planetoid. He was already calculating how far they'd make it as he drew his weapon._

* * *

From his quarters in the Fortress Shadomaru Megatron and Starscream watched the footage of Overlord's latest outing.

"Terrifying, isn't it Lord Megatron?"

"Overlord will be pleased to know he ranks among such lofty threats to the Decepticon Air Commander as 'his own shadow,'" Megatron sneered.

Starscream motioned to the soldier on the screen whose neck was being wrung down to his boots. "His power is becoming godlike with each new treatment. Has it occurred to you that he may be too powerful to stop if he ever decides he's tired of following orders?"

"He may think himself a king or a god in his head, so long as he understands the reality. He is but a piece, and I the master controlling the board."

"And if this 'god' decides he doesn't need a master?"

"Then we would have a problem, wouldn't we?"

* * *

Several weeks later, Megatron was on his way to Castle Darkmount in Polyhex, the northernmost Decepticon Polity. Normally he'd go to Shockwave for this sort of business, but Shockwave was busy preparing to assume the chancery of Kaon. Straxus' recent work at Simanzi had also impressed the Decepticon Emperor, enough to be entrusted with this latest project.

Astrotrain landed at the pinnacle of Darkmount. The air (if you called the atmosphere above Cybertron 'air') was warm and hazy. Evidently Straxus had built a few more smelting pools since Megatron first commissioned the project over two Cycles ago. The land all around the castle was flat and arid, but Straxus' machinations spread further and further out from the grounds.

"Will that be all, Lord Megatron?" Astrotrain asked as he detrained. "I was going to do a fly by if it's just the same. This place gives me the creeps."

"Very well Astrotrain. Be back for pickup in 6 Megacycles. I won't be long."

In Straxus' lab the Lord Commander was pouring over enormous holographic schematics. Megatron rapped on the door to get the bot's attention.

"Ah, Lord Megatron," he looked up with flat, peering eyes. "I fear you may not find my progress sufficient."

When no explanation came to fill the silence that followed, Megatron cocked his head and said, "Why don't you show me, and let me be the judge of my own satisfaction?"

Straxus nodded and snapped his fingers. The hologram zoomed out in a flash to show that he was only looking at the components of a larger device.

"Full-body compliance is difficult to maintain remotely, especially for a body as large as Overlord's. The initial Godmaster Engine design was going to be too large to produce a sufficient field and still fit inside his torso."

He then swapped to a new schematic, this time consisting of two cube like machines connected together.

"I downsized the engine and duplicated it, so that now instead of one engine it will be two working in concert. The math checks out. There's just the matter of finding suitable hosts."

"So you only have a hologram? How soon can you begin construction? If I continue postponing Overlord's regular physical he will suspect I'm up to something."

"I can start right away. All I need is the necessary security detail to get it shipped over Autobot territory. In the meantime I've made much further progress on the Masterforce emitter. Shall we get your measurements for the device?"

"Not me. I will be leaving Cybertron before long. I have no time to babysit."

"I see," Straxus frowned. The specifications for his emitter was intended for a spark of Megatron's... unique constitution.

"I have people looking into that. You will have your candidates."

* * *

The Tarn Special Tasks Academy was where the motley guerilla forces of the original Decepticon revolt learned to rise above their peers as commanders. These days the school was largely a que for cadets to wait for death-induced vacancies to open, but the spies the Academy put out were still highly sought after.

Beneath a glowering statue of Megatron a small teal figure darted in and out of a series of crude buildings. A cylindrical container sat in the middle of the grounds surrounded by some simple drones. More drones patrolled the rooftops.

A blue shape leapt from the shadows and drove a knife deep into one of the rooftop drones. He unsheathed a sniper rifle from his back and methodically dispatched the remaining patrolmen. The teal bot stepped out of the shadows and drew twin pistols, downing each of the guards on the ground in quick succession.

"So much for stealth."

"Keep me in your sights Giga dear, and you'll have nothing to worry about," she replied coolly.

She briskly grabbed the cylinder and made for the exit, when the doors suddenly slammed shut on every side. A dull hum filled the air as dozens of drones rose from behind the training ground walls.

"This wasn't in your briefing," a voice called from the air.

Mega looked up to see, to her surprise, the Decepticon Air Commander Starscream hovering above the training exercise. He called down again.

"What will you do?"

She reached down to her boot for a larger weapon concealed below.

"Oh that might take out a few. And your friend up there may take out a few more. But you're up against an army. You can't take out an entire army. Not without... help."

With a gesture the drones backed off. "Let's talk in my office."

* * *

"You two are among the most promising recruits this school has ever seen," Starscream said as he scanned through the data discs in the Headmaster's office. The seeker had sent Mindwipe on an oil break for the hour. He wouldn't need that long.

Starscream motioned towards Giga. "Proficient in 513 types of firearms, that's... a few more than my record. Quite the accuracy ratio as well. And you," he turned to Mega, "it's not every recruit who takes an interest in psyops."

"I can read people. I always could. Every shape serves a purpose, right?"

"Sure. Now, tell me something that isn't in these records. What made you two join the Decepticons?"

"We met before the war at a Triple M meeting in Tesarus," Mega interjected. "We thought we would be of better use here."

They talked for a little while longer, but Starscream was getting bored.

"Let's cut to the chase. Have you ever seen Overlord at work?"

Giga inhaled with a hiss. Mega frowned.

"Not in person. We visited Hell's Point a few Cycles ago on a field trip. You can still smell the... char."

"Yes, he's perhaps the single most powerful weapon in the Decepticon arsenal. But weapons can be dangerous without safety locks. We have a program we think you'd be a good fit for. It's clear that you don't have any more to learn from this academy. Look over this file, and get back to me if you think you can wield the Masterforce. I must be getting back to Kaon."

He turned over a data disc to the couple and jumped out the window.

* * *

Technicians whispered in huddles as he sauntered down the hall. Megatron was there to meet him at the operating suite.

"Lord Megatron! It's been too long! I'm actually starting to look a little ragged around the chassis."

"I'm sure the Autobots you waded through are far worse for wear, Overlord." Megatron shook his hand warmly. "I haven't been fully out of communication though. Have you reached a decision on my little proposition?"

"On the command appointment? I'm flattered my liege, but I don't think being shut up inside a War World is quite for me. It would be like a prison, no?"

"I see. No, no you're probably right."

"I simply couldn't imagine the front line without me. I _am_ the front line!"

Megatron managed a chuckle. He had given him a chance. The giant moved past him and into the surgery.

Overlord came in for regular maintenance and upgrades. He received all manner of new toys from Shockwave's doctors. His endoskeletal plating, his RQM70 Variable Shot Blaster, his abdominal scatterguns, all tools honing his body into the perfect killing machine.

Today he would get an all too different upgrade.

* * *

Giga and Mega suited up in the next room. Starscream was with them.

"So you're sure this will work Starscream?"

"You were there for all the tests we did with the Masterforce emitters, Giga."

"But never with the third candidate. If this doesn't work we're all dead."

"Oh thousands will be dead I imagine. But yes, the deaths of us four are certainly the most immediately troubling."

"You're a pretty sick bot Starscream."

"You don't know the half of it."

* * *

Overlord woke up to find Starscream, Shockwave, and Megatron waiting outside the labs. Two diminutive genericons were with them.

"How do you feel Overlord?" Starscream asked.

"Fine of course. I'm ready to get back out to the battlefield. I came up with a way to remove someone's eyes from the back while I was under and - " Megatron interrupted.

"Overlord I want you to meet Agents Giga and Mega of the Office of Special Tasks. You've been assigned to their unit to aide in their operations."

"Why would I want to do that?" Overlord leered at the two monoformers. "These two are agents? What is Cybertron coming to?"

"I think you'll find the position perfectly agreeable Overlord," Mega spoke evenly. "Come with us and we'll brief you on the first deployment."

"Very well Agent Mega."

Overlord paused to think about what he just said. A dam of rage broke behind his eyes, but when he wheeled round to face Megatron he found that he didn't want to strike him. That would require approval from a handler.

"What did you do?"

"I was concerned you were no longer a _team player_ , Overlord. So I made sure you always had a team to play with."

"You mean you assigned me handlers like some sort of... asset!"

"You _are_ an asset Overlord. And a very valuable one at that. Think of this as insurance for my investment."

Giga stepped forward. "That's enough Overlord. Transform and take us back to Tarn."

"Very good Agent Giga."

Overlord split into his two component altmodes. Giga and Mega looked at each other in relief. It was working! Mega climbed into the jet cockpit and Giga the tank, and they both flew off to their shared future.

* * *

"I'd say that went splendidly Lord Megatron."

"The engine does seem to function as promised. Straxus is quite the engineer."

"I too was impressed by this 'Godmaster' technology," Shockwave added, watching Overlord jet away. "Still, it would be logical to deploy the team somewhere far from your location should the Masterforce field break somehow. Overlord's capacity to hold a grudge is well documented."

"Soundwave and Astrotrain are taking care of that as we speak. With Chancellor duties transferred to you, the _Nemesis_ will take me to the far corners of the galaxy in search of fresh Energon supplies for our forges."

"My forges at any rate still have much to glean from the Dark Energon you introduced us to last Stellar Cycle."

"But not every Decepticon is so lucky to be able to withstand its adverse effects," said Starscream sourly. "What are the rest of us to do while we wait for you to come back?"

" _You_ will come with me, and find whatever means you wish to occupy yourself. The others will survive."

"What? I mean, very good Lord Megatron! I will pack straight away."

Megatron grinned as he flew away. "It is good that not all of my assets need such persuasion as Overlord."

* * *

Over a year later, Overlord sat in a hanger, deep in thought. For all his muscle and fire power his mind was always his greatest asset. It was the source of his craft. Every work of art he painted in another's blood came from the same place. His thoughts, like every other thought, were of Megatron, and Starscream, and his little jailors. All a perfectly executed plan to enslave him. He wasn't sure how he would break free of this... this curse. Only that he would. And that all of Cybertron would die screaming when he did.


End file.
